Page:Federated Australia.djvu/16

12 and began to feel at home. It was a splendid place for all kinds of game. The plains were alive with kangaroos and emus. The lagoons were full of swans, ducks, and teal, whilst the great gum trees were the homes of screeching white cockatoos, gorgeously-plumed parrots, and other kinds of birds. At first we treated them all as game, but soon regarded some, of them as vermin. The kangaroos were especially so, because they fed upon the grass of the higher grounds thus depriving our sheep of it. Mac. soon invented a novel way of dispersing them. One morning we caught an old man kangaroo, and securely fixed on him an old pair of riding-pants, a pilot doth jacket, and soft felt hat Around his neck was tied a cracked metal bullock-bell. He was certainly a queer-looking object, and much was the fun we had getting him ready. His rig-out was not appreciated, for with one leap he was many yards from us. We watched him giving for very life. All the while the bell was jangling as such a bell only can. He made straight for his companions, and when near them they turned and fled in every direction; and for the rest of the season we had very few amongst us.

We had been there just twelve months, and were eagerly expecting the promised party with fresh supplies and news from home. One bright morning in December, a month late, we saw them coming, and a right glad welcome we gave them. Victor Elliston, the leader, was well known to us, but the other two were strangers to all but myself. I was alarmed when I recognised them and they appeared somewhat surprised when they saw me. However, more about them later on. Elliston told us that he picked them up on the road, to replace his first two, who had left him lo go gold-digging. They saw many small parties prospecting; and doing a little themselves, it had made them just a month late in reaching us. They had each found some of the precious metal, and before leaving the locality Elliston had exchanged his for sovereigns.

On the second morning after arriving Elliston handed me his money to keep, as I was the recognised head of the party, and generally remained at home. The two others did not do so. I took the sovereigns, intending to fix on some suitable place of safety; till then, I put them in my body-belt.

It is said that the face is an index of character. It was true in this case, for in addition to a facial display of bad tendencies, I knew them to be bad characters, and therefore very undesirable men for us, and decided to get rid of them as soon as possible. I noticed that one of them appeared very abstracted, and was evidently working out some problem. The apparent studied indifference of the other also struck me very forcibly. My first cause of alarm happened the first evening, after tea. when both went out and did not return till nearly midnight. They said they had been to an old cave to set some traps, but instinctively I knew they were not telling the truth. I was now on the alert, and made up my mind the very next night to talk the matter over with Maitland, Elliston, and Mac.